Dry battery.



No. 663,289. l Patented Dec. 4, |900.v

- E. MEYER.

DRY BATTERY.

(Application led Nov. 10, 1899.)v

(No Modal.)

w: Nonms PETERS cc. Priore-uma.. wAsNmcYon. u. c

ERNEST MEYER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

DRY BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,289, dated December4, 1900.

Application led November 10, 1899. Serial No. 736,473. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST MEYER, manufacturer, of 60 Boulevard deClichy, Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Dry Batteries, of which the following` is aspecification.

The present invention relates to a drybattery characterized by the novelapplication of peat ber or moss for storing the exciting liquid incontact with the electrodes. The said battery as established by thepresent invention is remarkable for the simplicity of its construction,its high efliciency, and its great electromotive power.

The accompanying drawings represent, by way of example, a verticalsection, Figure l, and a horizontal section, Fig. 2, of my improved drybattery.

The outer casing a may be made of ebonite, hard pasteboard, celluloid,glass, or the like, its shape and dimensions being variable. It is ofcylindrical shape in the example shown in the drawings.

The casing a contains a zinc plate Z) applied against its inner wallthrough the Whole of the extent of its periphery as exactly as possible.The center of the casing is occupied by a carbon c, of wedge orcylindrical shape, either with or without wings, orof any other suitableshape and surrounded by a depolarizing mass d, Which is preferablycomposed of salt of manganese, graphite, and an alkaline chlorid.

The mass d obtained by means of the above substances suitably crushed,mixed, and agglomerated forms around the carbon c a cylindrical orWedge-shaped envelop or covering surrounded by a linen cloth e,fulfilling the purpose of a porous vessel. Between the cloth c and theinner Wall of the Zinc plate b there remains a more or less regularinterval or space, in which is inserted, by means of a spatula or othersuitable instrument, the peat fiber or moss f, which is suitablycompressed. This su bstance, obtained from vegetable peat or turf cardedand washed by any Well-known process, possesses special properties whichmake it particularly proper for use with dry batteries for the purposeclaimed by me. Not only is the absorbing power of peat liber or mossvery great, but this product has over the celluloses heretofore used indry batteries the essential advantage of being absolutely neutral in thepresence of the hydrated acids contained in the battery. This neutralityis so complete that there is during the electrochemical working of thebattery no formation at all of glucosine through the action of thehydratedacids on the peat ber or moss. It is known that none of thecelluloses heretofore used in the construction of dry batteriespossesses this property, whichy is essential -as to the life and theproper working of the battery. The exciting liquid with which the peatliber or moss is impregnated, after being Well pressed down in the spacef,is preferably composed of chlorid of ammonium and an alkaline chlorid.After complete impregnation of the peat ber or moss the battery isclosed by means of a fluid paste prepared with plaster or other salt oflime so diluted with some of the exciting liquid as to form a sort oflid g. The battery after being supplied With the current-takers t' and jis then finished.

I claimvIn a dry battery, a centrally-located negative electrode, adepolarizing mass surrounding said electrode, a positive electrodesurrounding the depolarizing mass at a distance, acloth cover on saiddepolarizing mass, a layer of peat fiber or moss interposed between saidcloth cover and the positive electrode and impregnated with an excitingliquid, and a filling of plaster containing some of the exciting liquid,and extending at the top of the battery between the two electrodes.

Signed at Paris, France, this 24th day of October, 1899.

ERNEST MEYER. [L S.]

